Priority Charging

NERSC has implemented priority scheduling classes to give users some control over how quickly their jobs are scheduled for execution in the batch system by designating them as one of premium, regular, or low.

• Interactive and Debug Jobs
• Batch Priority Scheduling Classes
• Charging for Priority Batch Scheduling
• Determining your Priority Ratio
• MPP Accounts and Charging

Interactive and Debug Jobs

Interactive and debug jobs are charged at the same rate at the Regular rate described below.

Batch Priority Scheduling Classes

Three classes of batch scheduling are available:

• Premium
• Regular
• Low

A premium job is scheduled for execution before an otherwise equivalent regular job. A low job has a lower priority for scheduling. These priority classes affect how quickly a job is scheduled for execution in the "wait queues"; it does not effect the UNIX priority at which the job executes.

Charging for Priority Batch Scheduling

Priority scheduling classes have different charge rates. It is intended that most users, over the year, will run most of their jobs in the regular class.

Rates:

• Premium scheduling at an elevated charge rate (2.0)
• Regular scheduling at the standard charge rate (1.0)
• Low scheduling at a reduced charge rate (0.5)

Determining your Priority Ratio

Although our accounting system does not currently report the time spent in each priority class, the NERSC Information Management sytem (NIM) shows your average charge factor (Avg CF) in its Account Summary display whenever you login (or select My Account Usage from the My Stuff pull-down menu).